German Music Folder

[Dundonnell]

I am uploading a performance of the Hans Pfitzner Violin Concerto(not Heinrich as the BBC announcer calls the composer) played by Edith Peinemann with the Swiss Festival Orchestra under Rudolf Kempe.

Peinemann made quite a name for herself performing the Pfitzner.

[Dundonnell]

I have uploaded three works by the important 20th century German composer Boris Blacher-his Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto and Collage for orchestra. All three are from radio broadcasts.

Also uploaded is a BBC Radio broadcast of Karl Amadeus Hartmann's Symphony No.5. I hope to be able to add a few more Hartmann symphonies soon.

[eschiss1]

Thanks!
Re Hans Pfitzner - maybe someone said Hans Erich Pfitzner and it sounded to the announcer like Heinrich, who went on to so pronounce it? I can "see" it... well, hear it happening.

[Mark Thomas]

Hiller: Having returned home from my trip, belated but very sincere thanks to Mathias for recording DRK's Hiller-fest and to Atsushi for following it up with MDR's broadcast of Die Zerstörung Jerusalems. I've only sampled the choral works and listened a couple of times to the first movement of the Symphony but my word, it does rather make one reassess Hiller doesn't it? The Symphony in particular is a fine piece and it would be wonderful now to hear the remaining three movements. The second broadcast of Die Zerstörung Jerusalems does indeed seem to be complete, Atsushi, although I have only sampled it so far. Thanks so much.

[Mark Thomas]

Bungert: More belated thanks, this time again to Mathias for the upload of a much better recording than mine of the lovely Piano Quartet, and also for the Violin Sonata. I can find only one mention of the Sonata online (in a review of a recent study of Bungert). Neither Altmann , nor Cobbett mention it, and its publication isn't recorded in Hofmeister so I assume that it remains in manuscript. Indeed, Cobbett says that the Quartet is Bungert's only chamber work.

[britishcomposer]

Mark and Atsushi: yes, the MDR broadcast IS of the complete oratorio! I recorded myself but haven't found the time to edit and upload it. I am in quite a distressed state of mind and have to restrict my activities somewhat. Thanks for taking that task away from me, Atsushi! 

The commentators on Deutschlandradio mentioned that the oratorio would be released on CD.
The symphony, however, wasn't even played complete, nor are there any plans to record it, I think. Actually, if you have listened to the last track of my upload (and understand German ) the conductor Mr. Jirka sees Hiller's case quite realistic: it was good to perform these works in the bicentenary, they all have their merits, but there's nothing in it which would point to a reassessment of Hiller's stature.

BTW, as was said in one of the interviews, recent research has shown that Hiller wrote much more than just three symphonies. There seem to be, well guess... NINE!

[eschiss1]

2 Hiller symphonies written by 1831 (see Hyperion's notes to the recording of the first three piano concertos. The second symphony is in A minor and was performed in the concert that saw the premiere of the first concerto in F minor in 1831.), plus the E minor, a G major one entitled Im Freien performed in London in 1852, a C major one in Leipzig in 1877, that makes 5... I can believe there are four more still. But that there are at least five we already knew (or at least, this was posted to the IMSLP Hiller list of compositions and/or the page of the E minor symphony op.67 - I forget which.) (Indeed, I thought we did know this for some time, or is the business regarding the A minor symphony no.2 in A minor part of the recent research in question...  ? - because unless symphony no.1 is the symphony in C that was played in 1877 (see the book on the Leipzig Gewandhaus) - which is possible - that still leaves 5 - i don't know where "three" comes from and am (honestly!) curious... )

[britishcomposer]

2 Hiller symphonies written by 1831 (see Hyperion's notes to the recording of the first three piano concertos. The second symphony is in A minor and was performed in the concert that saw the premiere of the first concerto in F minor in 1831.), plus the E minor, a G major one entitled Im Freien performed in London in 1852, a C major one in Leipzig in 1877, that makes 5... I can believe there are four more still. But that there are at least five we already knew (or at least, this was posted to the IMSLP Hiller list of compositions and/or the page of the E minor symphony op.67 - I forget which.) (Indeed, I thought we did know this for some time, or is the business regarding the A minor symphony no.2 in A minor part of the recent research in question...  ? - because unless symphony no.1 is the symphony in C that was played in 1877 (see the book on the Leipzig Gewandhaus) - which is possible - that still leaves 5 - i don't know where "three" comes from and am (honestly!) curious... )

Sorry, Eric, I misread the Grove worklist which Alan had posted and which mentions FOUR, not three.  (Four, yes? Or have I misread again? )
Besides those concerts a symposion on Hiller had been organised. A few details about that were mentioned in one of the interviews posted as part of my Hiller uploads. This is where I got the number of nine symphonies.

[eschiss1]

Ah! hrm- thanks- I can sort of see where Grove gets 4 (but only if one assumes the by-1831 symphony no.1 is the same as the symphony performed in Leipzig in 1877, I guess, or if the material in the Hyperion review was a newly rediscovered music review, etc. Hrm. Well... it's hard to create these lists and further this research oftentimes. Erf.)
Thanks!

[JimL]

...The commentators on Deutschlandradio mentioned that the oratorio would be released on CD.
The symphony, however, wasn't even played complete, nor are there any plans to record it, I think. Actually, if you have listened to the last track of my upload (and understand German ) the conductor Mr. Jirka sees Hiller's case quite realistic: it was good to perform these works in the bicentenary, they all have their merits, but there's nothing in it which would point to a reassessment of Hiller's stature.

Much as I respect the opinions of Mr. Jirka, if certain members of this forum beg to differ, he's already outnumbered! 

[eschiss1]

As to the Hiller oratorio, the full score, unusually (not just the vocal score?) is available on IMSLP (see here) -- likewise the vocal score, which lists 2 Parts divided into 2 subparts each and 47 numbers in all on its first few pages. (The vocal score is the first version published 1842 and the vocal score is of the second version of 1874, it seems.)

[eschiss1]

Also, re Bungert, will try to find out more but I do see his violin sonata mentioned in a review of a book about Bungert from 2005 - see here. Edition Silvertrust, I see, has a new edition of the piano quartet out... (it can also be downloaded at IMSLP.)
Torquato Tasso overture op.14 published about 1886 if not earlier. Variations and Fugue also @IMSLP (in B-flat minor, not D-flat major, for what that's worth!)

[Mark Thomas]

Many thanks for the Büttner Symphonies, Ilja. Good stuff.

[Dundonnell]

It took ages for the Buttner symphonies to actually download but eventually success

Many thanks indeed

[Dundonnell]

I am uploading the Concerto for Organ and String Orchestra by the German composer Johan Cilensek(1913-1998) performed in Liverpool in October 1977 during the tour by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Kurt Masur.